Yesterday my husband and I returned to our favorite restaurant to celebrate our 16th year wedding anniversary. We have been here a number of times before and always enjoy the food. We were not disappointed yesterday! The grill octopus, angry, lobster, and Dorado fish was superb. But what really hit home this visit was our wonderful waiter, David! He truly treated us like royalty and in the end had a wonderful surprise to celebrate our anniversary! Thank you, David! Can't wait to come back!! read more

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I don't know how I haven't done a review for here yet, it is one of my favorite restaurants! I was recently there a few weeks ago and like always we had and amazing experience. We did mostly appetizers since there are a good amount and are absolutely delicious! For the appetizers we chose Grilled Octopus which perfectly cooked (so good that at this point I get an order for myself as my entree), Varka Chips delicious and they come with a really good tzatziki dip, this time we also tried the keftethes which as expected were delicious. Our waiter was great, super helpful and accommodating. I recommend making a reservation specially on weekends. I always look forward to coming back here read more

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The seafood was outstanding! We ordered the seafood tower for our main course and it did not disappoint. For our app we ordered the Varka chips with tzatziki dip and it was delicious. The zucchini and eggplant chips were perfectly cut and lightly fried. For dessert we ordered the Baklava & mini donuts - both delicious!! The service was alittle slow but it's understandable given how packed the restaurant was. We sat outside and the vibes were perfect. They offered scan to pay in the receipt which was super convenient given the slow service. 10/10 would come back again! read more

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Celebrated our Anniversary at this truly amazing restaurant. This gem has it all food, service and ambiance! We had the fish chowder and the grilled calamari for starters both excellent but the calamari won the night and our palettes. Excellent cooked perfectly seasoned with Mediterranean aromas. Black Sea bass for 2 was just as awesome. Chardonnay lobster was another amazing dish. Our waiter a very pleasant knowledgeable polite young man called Themis (Themistoklis beautiful name ...lots of history there ) suggested a great wine to complement our food and the best oysters out of the 4 types they have. Thank you for making our night so pleasant and memorable and for the special dessert We will see you again soon read more

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Best Greek food ever!!!!!!best managed restaurant! 10 stars. Kind! The girls upfront are awesome. Very attentive and very nice. We are always have a great evening at Varka and Ramsey. Highly recommended great service great food if people complain about the price you get what you get what you pay for in life! read more

Varka Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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Went here first time . Tuesday night and this place was packed ! Wowo ! No place to sit ! When looking at the menu it was predominantly fish / sea food place . I saw just a couple of chicken items and few veggie . I think it's mostly for sea food lovers ... My friends had fish / scallops/ octopus etc and they loved it . Grilled chicken was really tasty. Never had so much juicy chicken in other places. Fries were good . Appetizers were good too- spinach rolls , varka chips etc . 2 things - 1) it is expensive . Not a daily restaurant.. chicken entreee costed about 35$ !!!! 2) Service could be better ! We hardly see people taking orders , with so much crowd. If not for both these negatives , it's good read more

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If there's such a thing- this is where California meets New Jersey without a shore less than 50 miles in sight. The tans in this place are in abundance. Everyone is well groomed and coifed. Hubs and I rarely go to NJ. But when we do, we usually head to northern New Jersey because it's really lush and woodsy. This time, we had to because hubs invited his close co-worker who had recently retired, his lady, another coworker and his wife. The retired gentleman and his lady come here often- so this is one for the books as hubs and I crossed the Tap to have Greek food. Located in residential Ramsey, Varka seems like a hidden, stylish gem. Terra-cotta pots outside, give Varka a natural and homey feel but jazzed up inside. The menu is loaded with feel-good Greek classics and then some. It's mainly seafood- but if you're a carnivore, you'll have field day too with the few meat items they have. The first part of our meal was spectacularly tasty. From the buttery-soft sliced octopus+veggies, to our 2 doz oysters, more appetizers, lots of drinks- we knew our main plates were topping that. Between hubs' pork chop, my meaty Halibut with purple potatoes with an amazing raspberry+beet+ lemon emulsion, the retired gentleman's dish, his lady's and everyone's main plates for that matter, there were no complaints. Service is INCREDIBLE and Varka is a pleasure in every way. Our guy almost glided every time to see how we were doing- without imposing or rushing us. I'm glad hubs' close ex-coworker picked this place because it's very nice. While the menu might scream lavish, it wasn't for our party when hubs treated. The time it took us to come here, is almost the time it would take us to drive down to the city. Calls for a return. read more

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I have had a bad few weeks so my brother and his girlfriend took me there for lunch The place is very fancy and nice even cloth towels in the bathroom The menu is great and the food even better I had the lobster gyro and was amazing The only negative is I think we had a new waiter and he was not very sure of things If you want a fancy place it is a good place to go read more

Came back with a few friends after a great experience last year. It was very nice of the restaurant to grant our request to have the same waiter as last time. Alam was very nice and accommodating on both occasions. It was great that he remembered us from our previous visit. This is a great place, very consistent, the food is extremely fresh and cooked to perfection. The service was flawless, everyone is attentive, the decor is warm and inviting. The restaurant was packed and we were seated immediately at the time of our reservation. The staff works great together and is a well oil machine. We had the lobster tacos again! They were that good, they come 3 to a dish and you can get a fourth taco. Don't leave anyone out of that dish. We also had the ahi tuna appetizer, grilled octopus, keftedes and tuna tartare. Everything was outstanding. For the mains we had Dover Sole, Dorado both sold by the pound, and the Mediterranean Sea bass stuffed with Alaskan crab meat and grilled veg. For desert we had the Baklava with ice cream, galactobourico, and the molten chocolate cake. We ordered a bottle of white wine and they have an excellent selection with fair prices. All in all a great experience again. read more

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We prefer going for lunch because of the noise level at night. The fixed price lunch menu was outstanding. Loved the fish option with orzo. Excellent service! read more

Came with a group for dinner, 7 of us in total. I had my mind set on lobster and octopus, so I knew it was going to be an expensive dinner going in. A few members of our party were late, but they had no problem with seating us before everyone arrived. We started with wine, 2 dozen west coast oysters, and 2 plates of octopus. The oysters were great, but the octopus stole the show for the night. The octopus was so tender and had a nice char flavor and served with a light vinaigrette and peppers. Best octopus I've ever had. For mains, a bunch of us got lobsters. I got the champagne lobster and my husband the lobster spaghetti. They give you the option to be served in the shell or out. I asked for in the shell - it was served sliced in half, so it was very easy to remove the meat - no crackers necessary. The meal looked so tiny when removed from the shell, and the presentation wasn't as nice that way. The lobsters we ordered were over 1.5 lbs, so it cost a pretty penny since they were $35-37 per pound, depending on your selection. The lobsters did not have any sides included except the spaghetti one, though they did give a plate of green bean and tomato salad for the whole table. Overall, the lobster dishes were very good (champagne sauce was my favorite), but I wish it was served with individual sides for a better value. I've also been spoiled with better/more tender lobsters in Maine that didn't cost nearly as much. The meal was a bit slow for my taste, partially because some of our party was late, so it did give a European feel of a long leisurely dinner. I think we were there 2.5 or 3 hours. The servers were pretty quiet, and let us be most of the time, but regularly refilled the water. I was not a fan of them taking away the complimentary veg/olives/dips/bread when the apps came since I don't like wasting food (they should have just moved it out of the way). That bread would have been nice to sop up the main course sauces. When they picked it up, I thought they were making room to move it to another part of the table, or I would have asked them to leave it. The menus themselves are huge and unwieldy - it would be nice if they were a bit smaller since they were constantly in the way since we didn't know where to put them down. For dessert, we had the amygdalopita, which was a dense little almond cake with fig preserves and dulce de leche ice cream - tasty but a little on the heavy side. read more

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Every time I go to Varka I am impressed with how delicious and fresh the food is prepared. The service is usually very polite and accommodating as well. Although the menu is a little pricey, it is well worth going to for a big celebration for the experience. You must get seafood! A good safe option is the Artic Char or the Branzino. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Branzino - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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Delicious, fresh seafood, beautifully prepared. The atmosphere is upscale and appropriate for a special occasion. read more

Just got home from a double date at Varka with good friends of ours. It was my second time there and it's a five star experience from start to finish. The restaurant is beautiful, great ambiance and decor. The staff is professional and knowledgeable. Our waiter knew about each of their available fish to choose from. We started with the octopus and meatballs appetizers (and the wives chose tasty salads). The meatballs were succulent and the octopus is the best version of grilled octopus that I've had. My friend and I each had the royal dorado and our wives each had the salmon. Everyone was happy with their dishes. We added the lemon potatoes and broccoli rabe for sides, both were excellent. For dessert, my friend went with the baklava and I had the cheesecake. The cheesecake was the perfect texture and sweetness. Varka was a great place to sit and have a conversation with friends over a great dinner. read more

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This place was absolutely fantastic!!!! Parking was okay there were spots in a parking lot and some street parking. The place is very elegant and it requires you wear the proper attire. They have a seafood section in the restaurant you can take a look at with all different seafoods. The bar was VERY fancy loved it. I got an Apple martini, my mom got an espresso martini. Both of which were amazing. We shared filet mignon and king crab legs. They even cut the crab shell for you! My mother and I were very gracious about that because let's face it the worst part about eating crab is actually getting it out of the shell. The portions were very generous and the prices are doable based on the quality of the food. Unfortunately, we were unable to fit dessert in due to how much we had ate already. But we definitely plan on returning! If you haven't tried this place, you must. read more

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Haven't been here in a while as I now live out of state but it's just as good as I remember. Ate at the bar which was incredibly busy but they were able to accommodate me without reservation. Got the salmon for dinner and of course baklava for dessert. Don't skip it! read more

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This place gives you the sense that you are in a warm and inviting place. It is off Main Street (so there is parking!) My friend and I would up sitting outside nearest the trees that are lit by the lights below them. Our waiter (Christian) was so amazing! He was super helpful and very nice. I had the salmon and my friend had the lamb chop. The food was amazing. Both were cooked to perfection and so so tasty. It is a little pricey but oh so worth every penny. Absolutely a must go! read more

Varka Estiatorio - Lamb chop - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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This is a spectacular place for enjoying collection of amazing Greek style seafood. They collect the fish from different corners of the country, from CA to ME. The fish fresh, and cooked to perfect temperature. Lots fish option available, including building your own fish tower. We decided to go to Varka at the last moment for our date lunch, after reading great reviews from fellow Yelpers. We arrived around Noon and got a table right away. We were welcomed by complementary bread, olives and radish. They were soooo many good items on the menu, it took us a while to decide on our entree. But it was worth while as all our items were just mouth watering. Grilled Octopus, calamari, lobster gyro, frilled fish (Loup De Mer), Galactibourico, we loved all of them. This was one of our longest meal. We took around 1h 45m, because we were enjoying the food so much, we wanted to take the time to savor the taste and the experience. We will surely had back to try other items. By the way, it got crowded around 1 pm, on a Friday. Food taste - 5/5 Food prep time - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Price - $$$$ Items tried: Grilled Octopus - 5/5 Grilled Calamari 5/5 Loup De Mer - 5/5 Lobster Gyros- 5/5 Galacticbourico - 5/5 read more

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Awesome food and service. I like all the dishes we ordered. It's Greek restaurant. The flavor is definitely there. Food: Grilled octopus. Grilled calamari. Lobster sandwich(?). Branzino with asparagus. read more

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This is by far one of the best restaurants in the tristate area. I've been here quite a few times but last night was the best time ever. You can build your own seafood tower. Everything is super fresh and displayed perfectly. We also had langostines and Dover sole. Both were simply amazing. Our server was Richard. He was so knowledgeable about everything! He made great suggestions and gave us plenty of attention. The wine he suggested was delicious and kept at the perfect temperature. The bar area might be the hottest ticket in town. If you want a seat at the bar on the weekend you better get there when it opens. This place is pricey but worth every penny. I can't wait to get back. read more

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Wonderful experience every time! Not only is the food incredible, but the service is top tier and it is beautiful inside. The tables are spaced out very nicely so you're not crowded, and we love that they bring the appetizers out as they're ready so everything is so fresh! The seafood here is some of our favorite in the area and the French martini is a must try. Perfect for any special occasion! read more

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Delicious, freshest fish ! Went on a Saturday night, need reservations, place loud and crowded, service wasn't on point, got served appetizers and salad together, felt rushed, then waited for main entree. On the expensive side. read more

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This is one of our local go-to's for Greek cuisine. Excellent fresh fish and seafood as well as Greek specialties. Good specials, too. Highly recommend, but plan ahead for weekends because they book up fast. They also have a nice prix fixe lunch menu on weekdays that is a good deal. Enjoy! read more

Slipped inearly on a Saturday night to get primo outdoor seating. They served a plate of radishes, hummus, and olives and bread. Surprisingly, the bread was forgettable. But the rest was really good. We split the tomato salad, my cousins favorite, and I could see why. It was very good. The portion was big so easy to split. And if tomatoes were I season, it would have been that much better. The feta is one huge chunk which is a plus. The white onions were so sweet in the salad . We also split the gigantes beans. This is a go-to dish of mine and it did not disappoint. For my main I got the organic salmon medium rare. It was perfect. The portion was generous. The orzo broccoli was ok. The table next to us got the fresh fish and I want to go that way next time. We also got the special appetizer of the day which was crab stuffed zucchini flowers. They were good but the crab overpowered the zucchini flower. My Greek white wine was good. The martinis were excellent. I got the Appletini and would get that again; my cousin got the grapefruit mint martini and she loved it. read more

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EXCEPTIONAL FOOD AND SETTING LET DOWN BY RUDE SERVICE Having spent time in the hospitality industry, it pains me when superior quality of food and painstakingly put together cuisine is ruined by the last mile - the service! FOOD: The food was delicious and grilled to perfection - be it the Black Bass or the Lobster. The Angry Lobster in particular bursting with flavor. The dirty Martini was lovely, as was the wife's glass of Rosé. The desserts elegantly plated and delicious. SERVICE : If the food deserves its five stars, the service unfortunately was extremely disappointing. When asked for recommendations, the answers were cryptic and stand offish, while one ignored that - the overall demeanor was rude and pretentious - certainly not what you expect when you dine at such a place, spending $300 for a table of two adults! The icing on the cake (is there was one) was when our server (elderly bespectacled gentleman) did not bring our change back ($50) and came and said Thank you! Just like that! Tipping has never been an issue - but two things are important - quality of service and the guests discretion. While I would have happily tipped the balance on my own, this behavior certainly ruined the experience. As I said, a five star meal reduced by unexpectedly prudish service, pulls my rating down. While I was tempted to give it even lower stars, the quality of food would make it unfair. Good food is always appreciated, but never at the cost of service and guest comfort. read more

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Amazing food done right. High quality ingredients. Octopus was spectacular and melted in your mouth instantly. Lobster gyros had a great taste. Dover sole was flaky and perfect. Service was great. We sat outside while we still could and it was a bit noisy. Overall wonderful place with good food. Happily come back. read more

The food here is very consistently delicious. Have been to Varka 5 times and food is always good. Servicing staff is very good. The ambiance makes you feel you are in Greece. Highly recommended. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Fish of the Day - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

It was a beautiful day and my wife and I decided to go for lunch at Varka to celebrate our anniversary and dine outside. I checked the website for the lunch hours before going and it states that lunch is until 3:30. Varka is very pricey so my wife and I have gone for lunch before as the prices are close to half of the dinner prices. We arrived at 3:10 and was informed by the hostess that you must arrive at 3:00 to get the lunch menu. The rationale believe it or not was sometimes the food wasn't served by 3:30. I suggested to then change the website to say that you must arrive by 3:00. Bottom line: good food MORONIC policy. read more

Went for lunch, Food was average and the staff not friendly. The food did come quick though

I know a restaurant deserves 5 starts when I have a crazy thought like "I should move here" comes to my mind. Words like "outstanding" and "incredible" don't serve this restaurant justice. I randomly found this place while driving from NYC to the Catskills and that I am taking the time to write this shows how it it is. Greek cuisine that is expertly prepared. I had the lobster gyros and the soup of the day, which was a fish chowder. I wanted to lick the soup bowl. The lobster was tender and melted in my mouth. They have an extensive wine list and martini menu, I tried a couple of the martinis, and they were both excellent! Well done! read more

Five stars is not even enough stars to give Varka! This restaurant is extraordinary from the food to the service to the atmosphere to the drinks. The waiters and management feel like family and the bar tender is always friendly and knows regulars. I usually get barbounia as an entree but they did not have it last time so I mixed it up and got the swordfish kebabs and OH MY GOD it may be my new favorite dish there. It was filling and hearty and the stuffed pepper it came with was delicious with the rice being slightly sweet and plump. It was a massive dish and so good I did not leave anything left over. Don't sleep on this place it's the best restaurant in Bergen county. read more

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Hosting a party of 15 today and I'd say the service was good and in concert, so was the food. Since I have no idea what everyone ordered, I'll just say for my part, the Organic Salmon was really good (w Asparagus) and those sitting next to me were pleased as well. I'd go back for date night party of two next time. Been here a number of times living in the area, and never Dismayed, Disappointed or Dissatisfied. No D's just straight A's. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Wow, so so so good! Atmosphere: A+, Food: A+, Service: A+! Everyone was fantastic and we were totally stuffed by the end of the meal. They start you off with a bread basket, olive oil, olives, and radishes (I made the mistake of filling up on that before we even got our appetizer). Did the Greek spreads and tuna tartare for appetizer - fantastic! The spreads are all unique in flavor but equally good. Had scallops for main course. - excellent! My husband had the swordfish and really enjoyed it (he doesn't usually order fish when we go out). Our server was attentive, warm, and professional. Really wanted to try a dessert but was truly just too full. Had Chardonnay with our meal which was a lovely compliment to our main courses. Highly recommend and will absolutely be coming back! read more

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Found this restaurant after reading rave reviews as it was voted 2022 Best Greek/Mediterranean cuisine located in Ramsey. Reservation was made easy by going onto the restaurant website a couple of days ago for dinner tonight and glad we did. Upon arrival, the place was packed with patrons but our table was ready on time. The atmosphere is upscale and the sparkling white table linens set the tone of fine dining. The menu offers some classic Greek items along with the freshest seafoods, steaks and salads. My friends and I began our meal with complimentary delicious warm crusty bread accompanied by small dishes of hummus, radishes, black olives and olive oil was brought by our server, Edgar. Since this is predominantly a seafood establishment, we ordered the Lobster Gyros with cucumbers, tomato relish and mint tzatziki, Grilled Calamari and Build Your Own Seafood Tower consisting of 2 dozen oysters and Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Cocktails as appetizers. For the lobster gyros, one could taste mostly the tzatziki sauce. For the calamari, it was cooked to perfection. The oysters I was told were one of the best tasting. For our entrees, we got the Santorini Lobster with white wine and tomato broth topped with feta cheese accompanied with tomato, onion and green bean salad, Tonight's Special - Grilled Seabass with potatoes and Grilled Organic Salmon with Orzo cherry tomatoes, broccoli rabe. Hands down our food was tasty, well seasoned and didn't disappoint as it was conveyed to one of the managers, Stavros who came by our table. Overall, the quality was just as good as any restaurant in NYC whose service was excellent. It can be a bit pricey but well worth the experience which we could recommend this place. read more

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Let me just start by saying with 4 people it cost over $300 and I've never seen my sister so pained to eat a filet mignon. The only greek thing about this place is probably the free hummus that came with the free bread :_) I will start with appetizers: -mussels (3/5 it reminds me of thanksgiving stuffing flavors and is pretty similar to standard italian style) -stuffed calimari (5/5 this was cooked perfect and not chewy at all) Main dish: -Filet mignon (3/5 for $50 we expected something great and this definitely was not. The meat was not soft and I recommend asking for a medium rare). Definitely do not come to a fish house and order meat lol -loup de mare (4.5/5 it was really good and about $42. The sauce works very nicely with the tender fish). Also, the side is just a bowl of string beans and tomatoes covered in olive oil??) -lobster pot pie (3/5 it was good but bruh for over SIXTY DOLLARS. A pot pie should not be this much. Personally, it felt super heavy and too creamy but i mean if you like that vibe...) Verdict: If you have money to blow hundreds, the fish is pretty high quality. Don't order meat, don't expect much of the sides, and order the stuffed calamari. We will not be coming back, but it might be nice to come once. Side note: this is across like a shoprite so if you want pictures, I suggest just taking them at home. read more

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Great food, great service by Chris, terrific dessert! Can't imagine a better place to host a special occasion meal.

I went there once with my wife and son after it opened, and the maître d made it a point to tell me that there would be nothing on the menu my son would like. When I said he'll be fine, he orders from regular menus, she refused to provide a table and repeated herself. This place is a block from my home, the food may be good, but I'll never bother finding out. I'd rather have the Spruce Street Grill or Seven Seas back. read more

Went for a special occasion. Went for an early dinner at 5pm. Seated quickly, wait staff started us with complimentary bread and a small plate of olives, hummus and radishes. Waiter was friendly and took our drink and food orders promptly. Appetizers came out quickly and were all very good. I don't think we left a crumb on either plates. The main courses were cooked well. I couldn't finish my chicken because the portion was soo big, so it was a lovely lunch the next day. My husband would love to go again for the create your own seafood tower. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Varka was recommended by a colleague, and it did not disappoint. We shows up for lunch on Saturday without reservations and were seated immediately. When we mentioned we were new to the area, and first timers, the hostess explained the specialties of the restaurant and made recommendations. The husband had fish and chips which he was happy with. I had the lunch special - soup which was fish in a delish broth with veggies. My main course was fish of the day (flaky white fish grilled served with risotto with spinach... perfect!). We ended with baklava served with cinnamon ice cream. Everything was really lovely including the attentive staff. Will for sure be back! read more

Food is ok, very expensive. Service is very good though. If you want traditional Greek food, this is not your spot. read more